This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 11-248677, filed Sep. 2, 1999, and Japanese Patent Application No. 11-248678, filed Sep. 2, 1999, the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
The present invention relates to an electronic imaging device, especially, to an electronic imaging device which improves a configuration of a shooting lens unit and an arrangement of an internal unit.
In general, in an electronic imaging device, especially an electronic camera (digital still camera), since the number of internal element components thereof is larger than that of the camera of the film installation type, the camera main body tends to become large and deteriorate portability, etc. Therefore, a lot of proposals to achieve the miniaturization are performed. Especially, when thickness in the optical axis direction of the camera main body becomes thick, the bad influence is caused for not only portability but also the holding stability at shooting. As a factor that the camera main body becomes thick, it is thought that the arrangement of the image display section such as various electric circuit board and LCD influences with the optical path length of the optical system.
First, concerning the optical path length of the optical system, by bending the optical system at a midpoint in an optical path, the method of making the camera main body compact is known well without changing the total length of the optical path length.
The following camera device is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 9-281578. In this camera device, the wide-angle converter lens is rotatably and movably arranged to an incidence side of the telescopic master lens, which images an image of the subject on the imaging surface of the solid imaging element. This converter lens is rotated and moved at a position on the optical path from the subject to the master lens and a position outside an optical path, and the reflection mirror is arranged at the rotation center of the converter lens. As a result, the length of the device can be set to a short optical path length from the imaging surface to the reflection mirror, and the entire device is made compact.
The following imaging device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 9-211287. This imaging device installs the prism in which the inclined plane which reflects and deflects the luminous flux to the object side of the shooting system is made as an inside reflection side, and shortens length in the horizontal direction of the shooting system by constructing to perform imaging through the prism.
Regarding to the arrangement of the image display section such as various electric circuit board and LCD, a method of prevent from increase of thickness has been performed by arranging the shooting optical system in the end portion of the main body of the device and applying a layout in which the shooting optical system and various electric circuit board, and the image display sections, etc. are not overlapped in the main body of the device in the thickness direction.
As described above, conventionally, a method of bending the shooting optical system is known to thin the thickness of the device. However, thickness of device is not determined only by a physical size of the shooting optical system. Relative arrangement with the print circuit board or the image display section is an important element in the thickness of the device as previously described. In addition, it is also possible that portability and the operativeness of the device cannot be satisfied only with the device thin, and convenience worsens oppositely. Actually, a large restriction is caused in shape and the layout and there is a possibility that the disadvantage is brought up by operativeness etc., since the position of the shooting optical system is limited to a left end or a right end of the main body of the device and as a result, the camera becomes oblong to secure the area of the substrate, etc. When the shooting optical system is arranged in the end portion in the main body of the device so as not to be overlapped to the various electric circuit board and the image display section, etc., a similar disadvantage is occurred, even when the shooting optical system is incorporated in the main body of the device.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic imaging device, which can achieve a thin main body of device and maintain well-balanced whole shape and excellent operativeness by considering an arrangement of the internal configuration component.
The first electronic imaging device, which performs a photoelectric-conversion of a subject light with an imaging element and records it, according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first lens arranged along a first optical axis to take a luminous flux from the subject; an optical axis conversion material which bends the luminous flux which passes the first lens along a second optical axis which intersects with the first optical axis; a second lens which images the luminous flux bent along the second optical axis to the imaging element arranged on the second optical axis; and an optical amount adjustment device provided between the imaging element and the optical axis conversion material. The preferred manners of the first electronic camera are as follows.
(1) The second lens and the imaging element are made in a unit.
(2) A plurality of imaging control materials to control an imaging operation; a first driving power giving material which gives a driving power to at least one of the imaging control materials; and a second driving power giving material which gives a driving power to a driving power giving material different from the first driving power giving material are further provided, and the first driving power giving material and the second driving power giving material are arranged in a first space and a second space divided by a planar which includes the first optical axis and the second optical axis, respectively.
(3) In (2), the imaging control material is provided between the imaging element and the optical axis conversion material and includes a movement mechanism which moves the second lens.
(4) In (3), the first driving power giving material and the second driving power giving material include an AF motor and a zoom motor, which perform an AF operation and a zooming operation by moving the second lens.
(5) The first lens and the optical axis conversion material construct a first unit, the second lens and the imaging element construct a second unit, and the first unit and the second unit construct a shooting lens unit.
(6) In (5), a flash unit arranged in parallel to the second optical axis is further provided.
(7) In (6), a power supply arranged in parallel to the second optical axis is further provided, and the flash unit is arranged between the shooting lens unit and the power supply.
(8) In (6), a power supply arranged in parallel to the second optical axis is further provided, and the shooting lens unit is arranged between the flash unit and the power supply.
(9) The light amount adjustment device includes an aperture shutter unit which performs a control of an aperture and a shutter at the same time.
(10) The imaging lens unit has a imaging element moving mechanism which moves the imaging elements along the second axis to an imaging surface.
The second electronic imaging device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an optical axis conversion material which bends a luminous flux along a second optical axis which intersects with a first optical axis after taking in a luminous flux from a subject through a lens arranged along the first optical axis; a lens group which images the luminous flux bent along the second optical axis to an imaging element arranged on the second optical axis; an imaging element which receives the luminous flux which passes the lens group and performs a photoelectric-conversion; an optical amount adjustment device provided between the imaging element and the optical axis conversion material; and display means which is arranged in a camera main body on a rear side of the optical axis conversion material, and displays a received signal with the imaging element as an image. With this configuration, a plurality of imaging control materials to control an imaging; a first driving power giving material which gives a driving power to at least one of the imaging control materials; and a second driving power giving material which gives a driving power to a driving power giving material different from the first driving power giving material are further provided, and the first driving power giving material and the second driving power giving material are arranged in a first space and a second space divided by a planar which includes the first optical axis and the second optical axis, respectively.
The third electronic camera according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a shooting lens unit having a first lens unit which includes an optical axis conversion material which bends an incident luminous flux along a first optical axis, along a second optical axis which intersects with the first optical axis, and a second lens unit which includes a lens group which images the luminous flux bent along the second optical axis to the imaging element arranged on the second optical axis, and an optical amount adjustment device provided between and the optical axis conversion material to the imaging element; display means arranged on a rear side in a camera main body of the optical axis conversion material to display a received signal as an image with the imaging element; a power supply arranged in parallel to the second optical axis at a part section side in the camera main body; and a record medium storage room arranged adjacent to an end section side of the display means at a rear side of the power supply in the camera main body. The preferred manners of the third electronic camera are as follows.
(1) The record medium storage room is arranged in parallel to a planar which is a vertical planar which includes the first optical axis and the second optical axis.
(2) A circuit board which is parallel to a planar vertical to a planar which includes the first the optical axis and the second optical axis, and arranged in front of the display means is further provided.
(3) The display means is rotatably provided.
(4) An electric circuit board arranged between the imaging element and a bottom of the camera main body to chiefly mount the imaging circuit which processes an imaging signal of the imaging element is further provided.
(5) A protection cover which is arranged in a front section of the camera main body where the shooting lens unit is arranged, and is arranged movable between a cover position where shields the shooting lens unit and an open position where opens the shooting lens unit; and unnecessary external light shielding means which is provided to the front section of the main body of the camera and restricts the protection cover at the cover position are further provided.
(6) In (5), The unnecessary external light shielding means is formed outside of the camera main body in the convexity.
(7) The shooting lens unit has an imaging element movement mechanism which moves the imaging element along the second optical axis on the imaging surface.
The fourth electronic imaging device, which performs photoelectric-conversion of the subject light with an imaging element and records it, according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first unit having a first lens to take a luminous flux from the subject along a first optical axis, and an optical axis conversion material which bends the luminous flux which passes the first lens along a second optical axis which intersects with the first optical axis; a second unit having a first lens which images the luminous flux bent along the second optical axis arranged on the second optical axis on the imaging element; and an optical amount adjustment unit arranged to place between the first unit and the second unit, and the first unit, the second unit, and the light amount adjustment unit can mutually separated. The preferred manners of the fourth electronic camera are as follows.
(1) The light amount adjustment unit includes a shutter device or an aperture device.
(2) The light amount adjustment unit includes a shutter device or an aperture device, and a plurality of driving materials which drive the shutter device or the aperture device, respectively.
(3) The plurality of driving materials include a plurality of driving motors arranged along the second optical axis on the first unit side and the second unit side.
(4) The first unit comprises a third unit which includes the first lens and a fourth unit which includes the optical axis conversion material.
The fifth electronic camera according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an imaging optical system which reflects a luminous flux which passes a first lens arranged along a first optical axis with a reflection material, bends it to a second lens direction arranged along a second optical axis, and images the luminous flux which passes the second lens to an imaging element arranged on the second optical axis; a first adjustment material which moves the imaging optical system to adjust a focus; a second adjustment material which moves the imaging optical system to perform a zoom adjustment; a third adjustment material which adjusts aperture; a fourth adjustment material which adjusts a shutter aperture; and a first driving power giving material to a fourth driving power giving material which give the driving power to the first adjustment material to the fourth adjustment material, respectively, and the first driving power giving material to the fourth driving power giving material are arranged separately at both sides of a plane which includes the first optical axis and the second optical axis. The preferred manners of the fifth electronic camera are as follows.
(1) The first adjustment material includes a guide axis which holds the first lens, the first driving power giving material is a motor arranged in parallel to the first optical axis, and the first lens moves on the guide axis by a driving power from the motor.
(2) The second driving power giving material is a motor arranged in parallel to the second optical axis.
(3) The third and the fourth adjustment materials are arranged between the reflection material and the second lens.
(4) The third and fourth adjustment materials are constructed to one body as one unit, and the first and second driving materials are provided to the unit.
The sixth electronic camera according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an imaging optical system which reflects a luminous flux which passes a first lens arranged along a first optical axis with a reflection material, bends it to a second lens direction arranged along a second optical axis, and images the luminous flux which passes the second lens to an imaging element arranged on the second optical axis; an aperture adjustment material arranged between the reflection material and the second lens; a shutter aperture adjustment material which is arranged adjacent to an optical amount adjustment side of the aperture adjustment material; a first driving power giving material arranged to connect with the aperture adjustment material; and a second driving power giving material arranged to connect with the shutter aperture adjustment material, and the first driving power giving material and the second driving power giving material are arranged in a first space and a second space divided by a plane which includes the first optical axis and the second optical axis respectively.
The seventh electronic camera according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an imaging optical system which reflects luminous flux which passes a first lens arranged along a first optical axis with the reflection material, bends it to the second lens direction arranged along the second optical axis, and images luminous flux which passes the second lens to the imaging element arranged on the second optical axis; a first adjustment material which moves the imaging optical system to adjust a focus; a second adjustment material which moves the imaging optical system to perform a zoom adjustment; a third adjustment material arranged between the reflection material and the second lens to adjust an aperture; a fourth adjustment material arranged adjacent to an optical amount adjustment side of the aperture adjustment material, to adjust a shutter aperture; and a first driving power giving material to a fourth driving power giving material which give driving powers respectively to the first adjustment material to the fourth adjustment material, and the first driving power giving material to the fourth driving power giving material is distributed and arranged in spaces formed by two planars of a first planar which includes the first optical axis and the second optical axis and a second planar which includes the light amount adjustment surface. With this configuration, the electronic imaging device has a shooting lens unit which is constructed by a first unit which includes the first lens, a second unit which includes the optical axis conversion means, and a third unit which includes the second lens and the imaging element; and a fourth unit which is provided between the second unit and the third unit and includes the first adjustment material and the second adjustment material, and the first driving power giving material to the fourth driving power giving material are connected with corresponding parts of the first unit to the fourth unit.
The eighth electronic camera according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an imaging optical system which reflects a luminous flux which passes a first lens arranged along a first optical axis with a reflection material, bends it to a second lens direction arranged along a second optical axis, and images the luminous flux which passes the second lens to an imaging element arranged on the second optical axis; a first adjustment material which moves the imaging optical system to perform a zoom adjustment; a second adjustment material arranged between the reflection material and the second lens to adjust aperture; a third adjustment material arranged adjacent to an optical amount adjustment side of the aperture adjustment material, to adjust a shutter aperture; and a first driving power giving material to a third driving power giving material which give driving powers respectively to the first adjustment material to the third adjustment material, and the first driving power giving material to the third driving power giving material is arranged in one space among spaces divided by a planar which includes the first optical axis and the second optical axis. With this configuration, a shooting lens unit having a first unit which includes the first lens, a second unit which includes the optical axis conversion means, and a third unit which includes the second lens and the imaging element; and a fourth unit which is provided between the second unit and the third unit and includes the first adjustment material and the second adjustment material are further provided, and each of the first driving power giving material to fourth driving power giving material is connected with parts which correspond the first unit to the fourth unit.
As described above, according to the present invention, the shooting lens unit comprises the optical axis conversion means that converts directional of the shooting optical axis between lenses to bend the optical axis in the middle thereof, and the image display section is arranged in the rear surface of the shooting lens unit. As a result, the main body of the device does not thicken and an electronic imaging device of well-balanced not too long horizontal size can be achieved. In addition, by arranging the optical amount adjustment device after the optical axis conversion means, that is, after the optical axis is bended, it is possible to contribute to thinning the electronic imaging device.
Since the movement mechanism of the lens is arranged after the optical axis conversion material, it can make the shooting lens unit a high function with maintaining thinning the main body of the device.
In addition, since the electric circuit board is arranged parallel to the bottom surface of the main body and is arranged adjacent to the imaging element, deterioration of the imaging signal can be decreased, and the main body of the device can be thinned. Since the above-mentioned electric circuit board is arranged on the bottom side of the main body of the device, it is hardly influenced by the noise from other substrates.
Since the unnecessary external light shielding means is formed to be projected to the exterior section of the main body of the device, the shooting lens unit can be arranged nearer at front of the main body of the device. As a result, it becomes possible to thin the main body of the device.
In addition, since the shooting lens device for an electronic camera which constructs the bended optical system is constructed by the plurality of blocks which can be relatively positioned and fixed, or by assembling the unit, it becomes possible to improve productivity because manufacturing the shooting lens device becomes easy and a high optical performance can be maintained.
In addition, sine the driving materials of the operation means to perform the operation to the luminous flux, respectively, are arranged with well-balance, the space in the camera case can be used in validity.
By arranging the driving material of the operation means to perform the operation to luminous flux, respectively, together, it becomes possible to arrange the control wiring to this driving material efficiently.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.